My formal dining room wins “favorite but least-used” room in the house. It gets great light almost all day, I swore I’d never accept beige as a wall color and yet I’ve come to accept it here, and I’ve had a fun time elevating my style a bit to make it fit. Like all of the rooms in my home, it’s still a work in progress but with this Holiday season being unlike any Holiday season before it (in my life, at least) and a large portion of my family spending the week between Christmas and New Year’s here, I figured I had to make it at least a little bit festive.

I did something controversial this year and didn’t get a Christmas tree—I think if you buy a house and move in less than six months before Christmas, there should be some sort of grace period. I opted instead for festive flourishes around the house—a cozy little (somewhat minimalist) Christmas village on the mantel, eucalyptus garland and lights on the railing, a tasteful wreath, and little accents here and there. And stockings, of course. Because my dining room not only sits between my office and living room (meaning I spend most of the day in close proximity to, if not looking at, it) and it’s going to get some use for NYE and New Year’s Day brunch, it needed some Christmas magic. And because I invested a small fortune on Christmas decorations (even with Black Friday Cyber Monday deals) I made sure it was neutral enough to be left up a little longer.

I love warm tones and have been bringing them into my home through touches like area rugs, dried flowers (the hydrangeas are from my garden), and textiles like throw pillows, blankets, and tapestries. To seamlessly blend into the rest of my decor—Holiday or not—I opted for a piece of eucalyptus garland and some bottle brush trees in two different shades of purple, as well as cream. The runner is a gift from my mother, she saw my vision and got me one that was wintery but not too festive. To make the occasion a little more special, I added gold candle holders and ivory taper candles. So simple.

My mom found the table runner at SteinMart (RIP) but it’s by Nicole Miller Home so a similar one shouldn’t be too difficult to find. The bottle brush trees are unfortunately sold out, but they’re everywhere this season. You can find the rest of the elements—the eucalyptus garland, candleholders (tall and short), and taper candles at Hobby Lobby.

I love the simplicity of this centerpiece, I love that I can leave it up, and I love looking over at it when I’m working. It’s the little things, isn’t it?

xo, e.m.